If you come to Nepal expect zero support from anyone, Asian or western. Monks here are often treated as welfare cases. Reverence is ford rinpoches and abbots, not ordinary monks. Western monks usually struggle in India and Nepal.

Westerners want to get close to Tibetan teachers, not westerners in Nepal.The locals usually seem to think westerners are all rich and don't need any support.A westerner won't be perceived as having magical powers like the high rinpoches, so nobody will pay you for a puja or blessing.

In India and Nepal most monasteries can provide you with rice and a room, but not much else. You're usually left to pay for your own visas. A tourist visa in Nepal, good for five months is US$45/month, and you need to leave or get some other visa after five months. India is much the same with tourist visas good for six months, though you can leave and immediately return.

I am not living in Nepal really. I'm just visiting and doing a few things here for some folks.

In any case, I had a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies plus work experience (translation, teaching English and a few other things) before becoming a monk in India, so I can often offer something of use to places I stay.

If you've got no qualifications most monasteries don't want another mouth to feed. As a westerner you're already a problem for them (visas and so on), and nobody expects you to stay for long (most westerners can't take Asia for more than a few years, to say nothing of visa issues). Western monks without an education or other skills are a waste of resources because you're not even expected to do pujas really (they got young monks who do all that already, and they cost a lot less).

Unless you got money or some realistic plan, don't expect to be monk in India or Nepal.

In Nepal, the main form of Buddhism is Tibetan Buddhism. In Taiwan, the main form of Buddhism is Chinese Buddhism (although there are also Tibetan Buddhist groups around, just as there are in the West.)

Would you be interested in becoming a monk in Thailand? Of course this would be yet another type of Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism. If you are interested, you might ask for information at our sister board, http://www.dhammawheel.com (note spelling)

If the thought of demons Never rises in your mind, You need not fear the demon hosts around you. It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned, there are neither buddhas or demons. He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue, will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion. Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

personally i think you should read a little bit about different traditions of buddhism and not just jump straight on to some country and tradition you know nothing about..

its good to know what is

theravadamahayanavajrayana

and understand they difference and approaches. and then choose what suits you best and then at some point think about monasteries and countries of the tradition that you feel most connected with.

If the thought of demons Never rises in your mind, You need not fear the demon hosts around you. It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned, there are neither buddhas or demons. He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue, will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion. Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

Is it a waste of time to go to Nepal? Realistically, you will be able to visit Nepal for a few months at a time. It's a great country for tourism, if you've got enough money for a plane ticket etc. A few foreigners manage to live there long-term, but what needed skills will you bring to the table?

In Taiwan, you can apply for permanent residency after living there--either three or five years, I forget which. For all your living-in-Taiwan questions, see http://www.forumosa.com

Yes, those are the names of some Buddhist traditions. Read some books, and if you can manage it, visit some different kinds of temples in your area to see which you prefer. Just google "Buddhist temple" and the name of your city.

In Taiwan you would need to get a comparable education, which is perhaps easier to obtain as you can study Buddhism for free in several places, but you would need to learn Chinese to a considerable degree. Again, that takes many years of commitment. Also, becoming a monk a Chinese tradition requires a degree of obedience and self-sacrifice that few westerners can manage.

tigerh98 wrote:Indra so in nepal its a waste of time trying to become a monk?but if i choose to live in taiwan forever to live as a buddhist monk is there problem with the permanent visa?

You should get an education first.

If you wanted to become a monk, study at Buddhist college and acquire useful skills (like translations). It is tough work though and requires many years of commitment.

And to do this, you need to finish high school.

Son of Buddha wrote:Have you considered Soto Zen in Japan?

To do this, you need to learn Japanese. Get started in high school. If that's not possible, then it'll have to be in college. To get to college... you need to finish high school.

If your current high school is not meeting your needs, then try to transfer to a different one. If that's not possible, tell your teachers and your counselor. This is because you must finish high school and probably college in order to pursue your dream of practicing science as a Buddhist monk.

It would help if you learned something about Buddhism before making such a commitment to it. Does your school have a library? Go there and read the books about Buddhism. If you really have an interest in science, you would do well to read about science too.

tigerh98 wrote:Well i dont know what tradition i want and what your saying if i dont graduate high school i cant become a monk 8o this cant be true?

In today's world monasteries outside of the third world don't want welfare cases. You need to be able to contribute something if they are going to invest a lot of time and money into you, especially as a foreigner. Most places don't need monks in the kitchen as there are plenty of volunteers for such tasks. Monks in East Asian countries now are fewer than before and act as representatives and key members of the clergy.

In Nepal and India youth without much education or skills become monks, but your nationality disqualifies you from receiving such benefits.

So, if you are intent on finding a Chinese tradition, you must first get an education, learn Chinese and make a lot of connections wherever you are.